In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Laura Linney defended her Ozark castmate Jason Bateman after his poor showing in that now-infamous New York Times interview, in which the actor defended Jeffrey Tambor while Jessica Walter cried. After the Times interview prompted intense backlash, Bateman issued an apology — which Linney says should be taken as sincere.
As she puts it:
“I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Jason. What he said was not right, and he knows that. I know he feels terrible about the situation, and I think he realizes that he spoke when he shouldn’t have. He regrets it terribly. I can only say from my experience that Jason is not anyone who I have ever seen be anything but open and progressive in his views about anybody. I think his apology statement is the person I know. I don’t really know what happened there. I wasn’t there. But the person I know is the person who made the apology. He’s a great person to work with and work for. I felt terrible for him, and I know it has not been easy.
“He’s a very good guy,” she continues. “You will have people who will take what Jason said to the mat, and will really pound on it. I understand that as well. I do. But I know it was a very bad day for Jason, and he knows it. The person who I work with has never been anything but on the right side of things. It was sad to see it happen to someone I love and admire.”